Welcome to Poetry Friday. Michelle has the roundup today here where she gives us a peek at the Yoko Ono exhibit in Chicago. Be sure to stop by for some much-needed peace and calm and lots of poetry goodness.
My poem for today was inspired by “Skating After School” by Barbara Crooker. Here are her opening lines:
In the space between school and supper,
light flat as a china plate,
sky and ice a single seam
stitched by black trees,
we raced over the railroad tracks,
down an embankment to the frozen pond,
snow embroidering our flannel jeans…
Isn’t that lovely? When I was young, my friends and I would anticipate the first day we could safely ice skate on the lake in the public gardens near where we lived. That memory came to mind after reading Barbara Crooker’s poem. So, when one of this week’s prompts on Georgia Heard’s Writing Invitations was to write about a winter memory from childhood, I returned to that lake with my childhood friends, if only in my mind.
Lake Skating
At the end of the school day
we walk in silence, single file,
Sister standing guard,
to the end of the block…
then run as fast as we can
across the street to Christina’s house
to make the call.
Is the lake safe for skating?
we shout to no one in particular.
An affirmative automated response
sends us into squeals of delight.
We trek six blocks,
skates laced together
dangling around necks
muffled in wool.
On the lake
we glide like the summer swans
who nibble the crusts of our sandwiches,
practice circles and figure 8’s,
link hands as we cut scratches in the ice,
down to the bridge and back,
down to the bridge and back,
down to the bridge and back
until the sun begins to sink.
Only then do we make our way home
arm in arm,
hearts full.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
As the Winter Solstice approaches, may the return of the light bring peace and understanding to our world.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Rose, I love that repeating “down to the bridge and back.” And of course Barbara Crooker! Thank you! xo
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Thanks, Irene.
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Rose, I love both poems so much, and I especially love how you precisely and warmly brought us into your memory and those ending lines, “Only then do we make our way home/arm in arm/ hearts full.” left my heart, as a reader, full, too!! Thank you so much!!!!
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Thanks, Mona!
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What a lovely memory. I love how the afternoon feels like it is fading away with the repetition of “down to the bridge and back”. Anyone who has experienced skating will feel those lines. Great job.
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Rose, I read and reread Barbara Crooker’s poem thinking how beautiful the scene was. Then, I read your poem and reread it also to find the same ease of writing and the imagery in tack. I send you back wishes for a old-fashioned memorable time with family.
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I love how you captured this special memory in a poem of just pure delight.
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I never did this so it was so much fun to hear about it from you! “Is the lake safe for skating?” The excitement is palpable!
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Thank you, Tabatha. I was hoping to capture that excitement!
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What a wonderful memory! Love the vivid images and excitement expressed in your poem. Felt like I was right there with you.
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Rose, I always love Babara Crooker’s words, and your memory touches me even more, as I remember sledding down a huge hill near my home. We had to wait for snow, then cars tamping it down to an icy sloop – winter fun, as you showed us so wonderfully. I love those “skates. . .muffled in wool”!
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What a lovely memory! Ice skating seemed like such a storybook winter activity when I was a child! We had roller skates for summer sidewalks, but living in a land without standing water made ice skating a dream!
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Lovely imagery Rose, thanks for taking us there, especially here, “we glide like the summer swans,” thanks and happy Holidays!
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Thank you, Michelle!
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Rose, your writing is so vivid! A fun memory to write about! I love “we glide like summer swans” and I can see you skating like them. I can hear you “cut scratches in the ice.” I resonate with your poem skating figure eights and circles. My sister and I skated on a cow pond, but we had to shovel it off first. I love your happy ending and I see you, arm in arm/ hearts full. Thank you also for sharing Barbara Crooker’s poem and for your inspiration.
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Thank you, Gail.
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Love Barbara Crooker and your poem too! I love: “we glide like the summer swans” — brings back memories! We skated so often when I lived in Alaska as a kid. Time didn’t exist as we’d glide. 🙂
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Rose, that is just beautiful. I could hear their squeals and feel their excitement. The repeating line, “Down to the bridge and back” is so effective in marking the time spent outside. Well done. Hope you have a lovely Holiday. Merry Christmas!
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Thank you, Cathy.
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I felt like I was walking beside you; could feel the heft of ladened skates and the anticipation of cutting scratches in ice. Beautiful, Rose! Wishing you peace and light.
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Thank you, Patricia. It’s funny how long-lost memories surface when you least expect them. Warm holiday wishes to you and yours!
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